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GM executive chief EV engineer says reducing cost of plug-in vehicles is 'huge priority'

As we know, another major automaker investing heavily in electrified vehicles is General Motors, and it's doing things much differently than rivals BMW, Ford or Nissan. The Chevrolet Volt extended-range EV is a modest seller at its $35,000 sticker price but a huge hit with owners. The Chevy Spark BEV, still in limited availability, puts smiley faces on its owners and drivers. The just-introduced Cadillac ELR, a sharp-looking, fun-driving $76,000 luxocoupe take on the Volt's EREV mechanicals, has admittedly low sales expectations. With this interesting trio in showrooms and much more in the works, the third vehicle electrification leader I collared for an interview at Detroit's North American International Auto Show (see #1 and #2) was Pam Fletcher, GM's executive chief engineer, Electrified Vehicles. ABG: Why do your EREVs need four-cylinder power to extend their range when BMW's i3 makes do with an optional 650 cc two-banger? "We designed [the Volt and the ELR] to go anywhere, any time" - Pam Fletcher PF: I get that question all the time: why not something smaller? You don't really need that much. You use the electric to its ability, then you just need to limp. But we designed those cars to go anywhere, any time, and we don't want their performance to be compromised. If you're driving through the mountains, we don't want you to be crawling up grades, or to be limited on any terrain. So it's optimized to be able to travel literally the biggest grades and mountain roads around the globe at posted speeds. Because what if you can't? Another good reason: when the engine is on, you have to run it wide open throttle, max speed, most of the time. And while we can do a lot with acoustics, and the ELR has active noise cancelation, a small-displacement, low cylinder-count engine at high speed, high load all the time isn't something you want to live with. That's how we came up with the balance we did among the key factors of performance, NVH [noise, vibration and harshness] and range. ABG: Where you go from here? Is the range-extender engine due for an update? PF: We know and love the current Volt, and there is still a lot of acclaim about it, so we think it's a good recipe. But we are heavily in the midst of engineering the next-generation car, which I think everyone will love and be excited about.

Chevy Malibu Hybrid wins 2016 Connected Green Car of the Year

From the Washington Auto Show today, Green Car Journal's Ron Cogan announced three different fuel-efficient vehicle awards. They were: 2016 Connected Green Car of the Year: Chevy Malibu Hybrid 2016 Luxury Green Car of the Year: Volvo XC90 T8 2016 Green SUV of the Year: Honda HR-V The Volvo was nominated in two categories, but it did not win the Connected Green Car of the Year. Speaking of non-winners, the other green SUV finalists were the BMW X1 XDrive28i, Hyundai Tucson, Mazda CX-3, and Toyota RAV4 Hybrid. The other Luxury Green Car finalists included the BMW x5 xDrive40e, Lexus RX 450h, Porsche Cayenne S E-Hybrid, and the Mercedes-Benz C350e. Finally, the Audi A3 e-tron, BMW 330e, Toyota Prius, and Volvo XC90 T8 were the runners up for Connected Green Car. 2016 Connected Green Car of the Year, Green SUV of the Year, Luxury Green Car of the Year Winners Announced WASHINGTON, Jan. 21, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Green Car Journal has announced the winners of its prestigious 2016 Green Car Awards at a press conference held today during the Washington Auto Show's Public Policy Day in Washington DC. Distinguished as 2016 Luxury Green Car of the Year™ is Volvo's new XC90 T8. The Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid tops the field as 2016 Connected Green Car of the Year™ and Honda's HR-V earns Green Car Journal's 2016 Green SUV of the Year™. "These are stand-out vehicles in an increasingly sophisticated and appealing field of 'green' cars," said Ron Cogan, editor and publisher of Green Car Journal and CarsOfChange.com. "To make the cut as a finalist is a real achievement in itself considering the considerable competition in the market today. Rising to the top as award winners means these three exceptional vehicles set a benchmark in the auto industry's effort to create vehicles that are desirable and efficient, while also achieving environmental milestones so important for our driving future." The Green Car Awards are a key feature of The Washington Auto Show, the "public policy show" on the auto show circuit and one that puts a priority on safety and sustainability. "We are extremely proud of our partnership with Ron Cogan, whose eagerly anticipated suite of awards help shape the national conversation on the innovations that will drive our industry and country forward," said Geoff Pohanka, chairman of The Washington Auto Show.

GM, UAW poaching Nissan workers in Tennessee

General Motors and the United Auto Workers are going on a recruitment drive at the Spring Hill factory in Tennessee, and they're hoping to poach some skilled workers from Nissan's nearby plant in Smyrna, TN. The General and the union even bought a billboard advertising for industrial electricians near the Japanese automaker's facility, according to the Daily News Journal. The reason for the billboard was simple. "GM was short of electricians," said Tim Stannard, the president of the UAW local at Spring Hill, to the Daily News Journal. The factory currently builds the Chevrolet Equinox but has a contract to assemble the next generation of Ecotec engines and the Cadillac XT5, which replaces the SRX. Thanks to the $185-million deal, employment there is expected to double by May 2016, according to Stannard, with roughly 1,800 additional union jobs. Beyond just several billboards, GM has job postings online for the Spring Hill plant looking for workers with specific skills. There has already been some interest in the positions among Nissan employees, Stannard indicated. According to a recent study by the Center for Automotive Research, the average GM worker currently makes $58 an hour, including benefits. Comparatively, Nissan pays an average of $42 an hour with benefits. The General's number could change in the coming weeks because its contract with the UAW is about to expire, and higher wages are among the major negotiating points.